Street Machine Drag Challenge Weekend Dial Your Own - Gallery

By SM Staff, 08 May 2018Drag Challenge

Some of the cool cars that took part in the inaugural Street Machine Drag Challenge Weekend

VER the four years we’ve run the Street Machine Drag Challenge, it has been a five-day event taking place mainly in the southern states. This year, Telfo and Scotty decided to mix up the recipe by adding another Drag Challenge event to the calendar, a shorter three-day affair that finally spread the love up north. That’s how we found ourselves at Queensland’s Willowbank Raceway on Friday 13 April for the start of the inaugural Drag Challenge Weekend.

The plan was simple: a day’s racing at Willowbank, followed by a road trip to Warwick for a second day of racing at the town’s eighth-mile track, then heading back to Willowbank Raceway for the grand finale on Sunday. Around 80 cars turned up to do battle across five classes, with plenty of heavy hitters among them. Here’s a taste of what you can find in the June issue of Street Machine magazine which will house all of the DCW goodness!

Young gun Jamie Spiller (right) had mate Jake Mills riding shotgun for the weekend in Jamie’s cool LS-powered sleeper. “The LS has shitloads more power than the old 2.6 Astron, but still gets better fuel economy – seriously!” Jamie laughed

Shane Locke’s Chev LUV packs a 383ci Chev, ’Glide and BW diff. An 11.1@117mph at DCW was a little off his 10.8 best

Daryl Amey was back for his third DC event in his cool RB30-powered HG ute, running in the very low 12s

Matthew Vella’s HT Kingswood runs a 350 Chev with a small shot of gas, backed by a Powerglide and 9in. He was stoked with his first attempt at drag racing: “I ran an 11.14@120mph best so I’m happy; we had a great time”

Drag Challenge Weekend was bittersweet for Damien Boyce and his beaut-looking turbo Barra-powered XT Fairmont. Damien ran an 11.1@121mph PB on Day One before electrical niggles set in

Craig Hughes did DCW in his LS3-powered LX: “My mate Matt Rhodes and I thought we’d give DC a go,” Craig said. “It was the first real test for the car so I was a bit nervous, but we had not one drama and ran a PB 11.0@122mph on Sunday”

Since Drag Challenge Weekend, Mitchell and Kim Bean have dipped into the eights in their 402ci LS ’68 Camaro, with an 8.8@151mph

Jonathon Codd had a ripper weekend in his bright pink HZ Tonner. His 383ci LS1, Turbo 400 and 3.7-geared 9in combo is a happy street cruiser and runs in the mid-10s with a 125hp shot

This ripper HK ute owned by Anthony Ellis runs a 376ci SBC for a DCW best of 11.4@118mph

Brad Lynch’s HQ is a beauty, powered by a ProCharged SBC, and ran a 9.951 on Day Three

Best known for drifting his blown HK Monaro, Peter Sauer ran his 383ci HK Brougham at DCW

Queensland’s nanny roads are all the better when graced by the sight of Victorian Clive Polidano’s blown HZ sedan clocking up the miles

Sweet on the eyes and the ears, this XY Fairmont of Toowoomba’s Lee Hill ran mid-12s in Turbosmart DYO. The 302 Windsor was screwed together by his dad Terry, who joined Lee for a father-son weekend

With his legendary purple HQ Monaro still residing Stateside awaiting this year’s Hot Rod Drag Week, Brissie local Greg Trapnell rolled out his ’74 Monte Carlo for DC duties. Its 2.77 gears were restrictive on the tracks but made the road stretches a breeze

Richard Horvat has plenty of strip time under his belt with this 347 Windsor-powered ’65 Falcon Sprint, and ran a string of low 11s. Richard had an ear-to-ear grin all weekend; not even a dud roller lifter could dampen his enthusiasm: “My motto for each day has been: ‘Just lash it and send it,’” he laughed. That’s the spirit!

This 1966 Mustang coupe owned by Matt Walsh has been transformed from a 289-powered stocker to a 427-cube strip-stormer that’s run a 10.33@130mph best. A picnic-table carb rebuild at Warwick solved some fuelling issues, but did little if anything to dampen Matt’s enthusiasm or that of brother Scott and nephew Blake

SM snapper Rick Welch ran a new PB of 11.40@118mph in his 383ci SBC-powered HQ

The Holden V8 has been banished from Robert Fenwick’s VH Commodore, replaced by a warmed-over LS3 that had it running bottom 11s at DCW. “I’ve really enjoyed it and the car has gone well,” he said